Mr. Speaker, while the minister is doing his navel gazing, seniors are taking a beating in the market. That is the problem.

It is all very interesting following along where the minister's mind leads him today, but investors need some certainty. Yesterday he said he wanted to give investors some certainty, so here is his big chance.

Income trust investors everywhere want to know, will the minister commit to levelling the playing field between income trusts and other investment vehicles without raising taxes on income trusts?

Mr. Speaker, the government has acted consistently in the best interests of senior citizens. We have raised RSP limits. We have removed the foreign property rule. We are increasing the GIS. We are reducing taxes on senior citizens. We are removing 240,000 seniors from the tax rolls altogether. We have rendered the Canada pension plan actuarially sound for the next 75 years. We have indexed the tax system against the impact of inflation.

This government has acted on behalf of seniors. We will continue to act in the best interests of seniors.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Auditor General criticized Transport Canada's mismanagement of the Quebec bridge file. Only 40% of the work has been completed, and more than $60 million has already been spent. Transport Canada and CN cannot agree on who is to foot the rest of the bill. We are talking about a historic site here, and a vital infrastructure.

Why can the Minister of Transport not come to an agreement and meet the expectations of the City of Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, we have indeed done all we could to reach an agreement with CN and force it to complete the restoration of the Quebec bridge. Unfortunately, although we have had one meeting with the president and another meeting with officials, CN is not prepared to understand. Consequently, my patience has run out and today I instructed my attorneys to give CN formal notice to complete the work or face court proceedings.

Mr. Speaker, the rotting Liberal ship is sinking and the government is taking the manufacturing sector down with it.

Last spring the Liberal trade minister said, “It does not matter how many manufacturing jobs we lose to foreign and overseas labour markets”. This week the industry minister classified the effects of 3,900 layoffs at GM as somewhat exaggerated.

Will the minister come to Oshawa, explain to the affected families that their job losses are exaggerated and reassure them, as he assured us on Monday, there will be no pink slips given out by GM?

Mr. Speaker, considering the importance of the issue, can the Minister of Industry inform the House about the role of the Registrar of Lobbyists and his vision for the future of the Lobbyists Registration Act?

Mr. Speaker, I have mentioned to the House a number of times that the Lobbyists Registration Act does require some strengthening. We have encountered difficulties in administering the act. I am announcing today the government's intent to amend the act.

We will strengthen enforcement, number one. We will enhance the independence of the Registrar of Lobbyists, number two. Number three, we will ensure that the Registrar of Lobbyists has the necessary resources. Specifically, we will increase fines, introduce administrative monetary penalties, extend the limitation period and strengthen the--

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the U.S. said it would continue to impose illegal tariffs on softwood for 45 days and then let George Bush decide whether to respect NAFTA. That is another $200 million gone to Washington and the Liberal government gives away our leverage.

The Liberals have handed over Terasen, Canada's third largest utility, to a company with an appalling environmental and safety record owned by a George Bush bagman. The message to Mr. Bush is it is open season on Canada.

British Columbians have said no. Will the government halt the takeover approval and hold public hearings now?

Lucienne RobillardPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

First, Mr. Speaker, let me assure you that the acquisition is of benefit to Canada, considering what the investment is about. It means hundreds of jobs for British Columbia and for Alberta. That is very good news.

We have consulted with the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Even the British Columbia Utilities Commission has done its own review and agrees with that acquisition. I think it is of benefit to Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report tabled yesterday revealed that, since 1999, the accumulated surplus in the EI account has grown from $21 billion to $48 billion. That is three times more than was considered sufficient in the chief actuary's 2001 report.

Given that the new legislation will ensure sufficient income to cover EI program costs, will the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development use the best 12 weeks of income to calculate benefits, so that workers can take advantage of this $48 billion that the Liberals have taken from them?

Mr. Speaker, back in 1990 when the Prime Minister was the environment critic for his party, he said that criminal polluters would go to jail. Now we have learned, according to people who used to work at his shipping empire, Canada Steamship Lines, that when he uttered those words, tonnes of ore pellets were being dumped by the Prime Minister's shipping empire into the Great Lakes, poisoning the water.

Canadians are used to two standards, one for normal Canadians and another one for Liberals who seem to be above the law. I would like to give the government an opportunity to say that it will investigate and prosecute the Prime Minister's family empire for poisoning the Great Lakes.